The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-05-12

soils best suited to their sevoroI
growths ) the analysis of soils. tho
proper combination of the elements ~
fertility in compost heaps, so as -
meet both the wants of the soil and
the needs of the plant the best nse
of the market in buying and SELLING
the care, breeding and managing Of
so as to reap the fullest returns
and the thousand other problems Offer
ing themselves daily to the farmer
require for their successful solution .
breadth and an activity of intellect
equal to that necessary to win Success
in any of the so-called learned pro,
LESSONS.
In the pursuit of farming, as a
business, day-book and ledger, inven.
tory and balance sheet, will come to be
not unknown, and will be kept with
each and every field, with each and
every pig and COW, as well as with
each and every source of farm expen.
diture and farm revenue.
The great Napoleon said that a
marshal of France must not only know
what are the duties of every subordi.
nate position of the army, but he must
know how to perform these duties
skillfully and we'll. So the man who
makes farming a life business, must
not only know what ought to be done
on the farm, but his highest success
will depend upon his being able to
perform, with his own hands, rapidly
and we'll every species of ordinary
farm work, that he may know how
both to appreciate fair services, when
rendered by his employee, and how to
avoid being imposed on by Indifferent
service. The employee usually with
honorable exceptions sell only their
muscle they mentally reserve their
ingenuity with which they may plan
how far muscle may be economical
and yet receive its stipulated price.
So that the farmer must supply the
care, the anxiety, the generalship, the
brain.
Farming, when it comes to be a
business in it's best sense, will keep a
jealous eye on legislation, guarding
with sleepless vigilance against enact
ments inimical to agricultural inter,
ests. England, France and Germany,
though they each have a much smaller
percentage of their population engaged
in farming than we, yet the farmers
Of these countries, respectively, have
secured a department of agriculture,
which ranks in pay, and in importance,
and influence, and in honor with the
departments Of State, of war, of the
navy, etc., while our agricultural de-
partment, at Washington, is a mere
bureau tackled onto the interior de-
partment. The countries just men
toned have each an equitable system
of collecting public revenues, a system
that is, at least, fairly just to farm in,
terests:
In the statements that follow, l
wish to disclaim any intention to give
this discussion a political turn. | am
not, and have never been, a politician.
And in saying this | meal no dis
paragement to politicians. 1 honor
the honest politician, as l honor hon
esty in any vocation. Indeed the
honest politician deserves more credit
than the honest of any other class OF
men, because, of the peculiar and ex-
ceptional character of the temptations
to which he is subjected. l trust then,
that no n will impute to me p~artlzan
motives in what I am about to say l
repeat, that England, France and
have, each, a system OF col
Letting public revenues that is fairly
just to agricultural interests, while we
have, and have had, for generations
past, the most Ubiquitous system OF
tariff that ever cursed the statute
books of a free people, a system that
wantonly robs, through forms of law,
the farmer and his neighbor of other
pursuits, of countless millions, that 1t
may enrich not only the weak and IN,
FAINT industries, but powerful and
hoary-headed monopolies. This sys,
tenn would not be tolerated a moment
we're farmers to study their interests
from a business stand point and act as
business men might legitimately ano
act. The discussion OF TINS
phase of the question assigned me, by
the partiality of your superintendent,
carry me beyond the province
of this paper, or, at least, p%rotract IL
beyond its wonted length, and L nave
now taxed your patience too far, lot